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They shall beat theirAlternative serviceWhen confronted with war, young Mennonite men had to make a choice,sometimes leading to intense experiences and personal transformation.Rev. H.R. Baerg spent a year in alternative service work camps andcandidly evaluates his experience:“Alternative Service constituted for us a program of submission…Wewere conscripted to spend the same amount of time under similarregulations as the boys in other branches of the Service. We now had anopportunity to confirm our faith by rendering a sacrifice, not of our livesbut of our time...“…Our country could not understand our singular stand and mistrustedour motives, thinking that a lack of loyalty and courage was at the base.It was our duty to resolve the misunderstanding by living up to ourmessage of love… A number of working projects were unrealistic and notexactly of ‘national importance;’ some of the foremen were unlearned,unprincipled, and unsocial ‘bushwhackers;’ some of the fellow drafteeswere partisan, obstinate, and obtuse. Under these circumstances it wasimperative that we who were attempting to give an affirmation of ourfaith be buoyant, courageous, resourceful, and confident.”—www.alternativeservice.caThe Alternative Service website has more stories, discussion questionsand information.The draft board: the story of Jacob A. LoewenAs soon as war had been declared and the draft became imminent inCanada, my Mennonite Brethren church dusted off its doctrine of nonresistanceand began to catechize its young men in its teaching. I acceptedthe church’s position on war when my call-up came. I had been instructedto avoid arguments and theoretical discussions with the examining draftboard members. I was only to affirm, again and again if necessary, “Myconscience does not allow me to take up arms to kill other people.”Mennonite ArchivesI used the quote only once before the examining draft board. The chairmanfollowed my initial statement with the question, “Then what willyou do when Hitler rapes your mother or your sister?” Before I couldanswer, he fired off a rapid stream of similar questions, but he neverstopped long enough for me to answer any of them. Then, as abruptly asit had begun, his stream of questions dried up. He stamped my papersand said, “Next please!” That’s how I became a CO. The utter frivolousnessof how I had achieved my CO status stirred up a host of questionsin my mind. I felt I needed to do some serious studying to find outwhether my professed peace positions really was a personal conviction ormerely an idiosyncratic practice which I was following because of traditionand social pressure. —My Personal Pilgrimage toward Peace,Alternative Service for Peace9 Stories and reflections